Bus Eireann routes 109/109A Changes

AlekSmart

Macca3000 wrote: »

.
And the few times I've used it so far the bus has never picked anyone up from Blanchardstown SC. A waste of 10-15minutes

Ah now c'mon Ted....ye never know,but there might be somebody there one of the days.....best cover every angle..:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

LXFlyer

Macca3000 wrote: »

Does anyone know if the 7.45 form Kells to Stephens Green goes via M3 form Kells or is does it stop in Navan first?

Im a new commuter on this route and reading this thread is not encouraging lol.

And the few times I've used it so far the bus has never picked anyone up from Blanchardstown SC. A waste of 10-15minutes

Per the timetable that service (the 0700 from Cavan) bypasses Navan altogether.

tom23

Macca3000 wrote: »

Does anyone know if the 7.45 form Kells to Stephens Green goes via M3 form Kells or is does it stop in Navan first?

Im a new commuter on this route and reading this thread is not encouraging lol.

And the few times I've used it so far the bus has never picked anyone up from Blanchardstown SC. A waste of 10-15minutes

Somebody someday is going be there. Might not be now, or tomorrow maybe even not next week. But someday. And all the hours of frustration and unhappiness spent by the commuters of Navan will be wiped away in single pick up. And even on that day we might see the fabled sheaf of wheat stop be graced by the prescence if a commuter.

AlekSmart

tom23 wrote: »

Somebody someday is going be there. Might not be now, or tomorrow maybe even not next week. But someday. And all the hours of frustration and unhappiness spent by the commuters of Navan will be wiped away in single pick up. And even on that day we might see the fabled sheaf of wheat stop be graced by the prescence if a commuter.

ATTABOY Tom23....great to see somebody gettin with the programme at last !!

It's all about the hereafter !! :eek:

Commuter109

I was just looking at the R109 timetable, I must take the time to examine it closely some day, at a glance you could produce some fantastic statistics I'd say.

At a glance looking at Monday - Friday Outbound services from Dublin I reckon if you live in the Sheaf of Wheat ( can't be too many, there are only about 15 houses there I'd say, you have a 41 services a day.

Navan has a population of circa 29,000 and has circa 53 services.

Anyone know how often the 105 serves Sheaf of Wheat?

AlekSmart

Commuter109 wrote: »

I was just looking at the R109 timetable, I must take the time to examine it closely some day, at a glance you could produce some fantastic statistics I'd say.

At a glance looking at Monday - Friday Outbound services from Dublin I reckon if you live in the Sheaf of Wheat ( can't be too many, there are only about 15 houses there I'd say, you have a 41 services a day.

Navan has a population of circa 29,000 and has circa 53 services.

Anyone know how often the 105 serves Sheaf of Wheat?

Check the electoral register perhaps.....?

foggy_lad

AlekSmart wrote: »

Check the electoral register perhaps.....?

Maybe there is a politician or Quango "Mary" living near the Sheaf of Wheat.

schemingbohemia

foggy_lad wrote: »

Maybe there is a politician or Quango "Mary" living near the Sheaf of Wheat.

Yawn, or maybe it's because it's on the old N3 and is, you know, a handy spot for picking up those items that make public transport useful ie passengers.

foggy_lad

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Yawn, or maybe it's because it's on the old N3 and is, you know, a handy spot for picking up those items that make public transport useful ie passengers.

Does an area with only a few potential passengers deserve the same level of service as much larger towns with thousands of loyal daily commuters?

schemingbohemia

OK i'll explain it in small words, it's going past the stop anyway, if there are passengers there, they stick their hands out, bus stops passenger happy. If there are no passengers there, bus carries on, driver and passengers on board happy.

I really fail to see the issue here.

Commuter109

schemingbohemia wrote: »

OK i'll explain it in small words, it's going past the stop anyway, if there are passengers there, they stick their hands out, bus stops passenger happy. If there are no passengers there, bus carries on, driver and passengers on board happy.

I really fail to see the issue here.

Is the issue not the fact that it does not have to go by that stop with such frequency, Does it not go up the second slip road at blanch and via clonee for the purposes of serving that stop.

Does it not have the option of avoiding the second blanch slip road and Clonee altogether and using circa 1km of the motorway before coming back on to the old road before the toll bridge?

Point is 40 odd buses a day do not need to service that stop, it is not warranted and is a major inconvenicence and time wasting excercise for 99% of people.

AlekSmart

Commuter109 wrote: »

Is the issue not the fact that it does not have to go by that stop with such frequency, Does it not go up the second slip road at blanch and via clonee for the purposes of serving that stop.

Does it not have the option of avoiding the second blanch slip road and Clonee altogether and using circa 1km of the motorway before coming back on to the old road before the toll bridge?

Point is 40 odd buses a day do not need to service that stop, it is not warranted and is a major inconvenicence and time wasting excercise for 99% of people.

Typical,just Typical.....it's a good job Ireland has such a well-developed minority grouping representative base...otherwise the 1% would be left to wither and die.....Honestly..all of this "for the Greater Good" stuff....anybody would think yiz were Europeens or something !!!!

tom23

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Yawn, or maybe it's because it's on the old N3 and is, you know, a handy spot for picking up those items that make public transport useful ie passengers.

Passengers, sheaf of wheat? Where tell me quick I'm on a promise for one billion dollars if I prove the existence of sheaf of wheat commuters. Like the fabled discovery of unicorns by the North Koreans the fabled sheaf of wheat commuter imaged from the spare rib of the lobbying quango god politician of Meath east is the most discoverable thing to the distressed navanese commuter.

AlekSmart

tom23 wrote: »

Passengers, sheaf of wheat? Where tell me quick I'm on a promise for one billion dollars if I prove the existence of sheaf of wheat commuters. Like the fabled discovery of unicorns by the North Koreans the fabled sheaf of wheat commuter imaged from the spare rib of the lobbying quango god politician of Meath east is the most discoverable thing to the distressed navanese commuter.

WHAT !!!.....Don't tell me they put up a Toll Booth there too ?? :eek:

tom23

AlekSmart wrote: »

WHAT !!!.....Don't tell me they put up a Toll Booth there too ?? :eek:

Yes the toll booth is structured in the image of said god. They even charge ya for adulation, the bastards! Sheaf of wheat... The cash cow of the 109!

tom23

Day 896 of sheaf of wheat watch. Still no sheaf of wheat passengers at designated stop. A person walking their dog was mistaken for a commuter making haste towards said bus stop... The sharp intakes of breath of enticipation from navan commuters was soon replaced with instant disappointment as they realised it was another false lead. Regardless they perked up as they knew in another 13 mins they would get to do some window shopping in Ireland's biggest shopping centre.

Commuter109

Weeeee heeeeee . Made the 5.30 today. Again it pulled out at 5.27 cos it was full. So if u wanted an express option and arrived after 5.27 you're waiting until 6.30 (which isn't actually an express when I think about it , given that it goes via Cabra )

5.30 is an excellent service and there needs to be more proper express options as opposed to one out of 64 services a day using quickest route out of town . But why do BE insist on using the most uncomfortable bus in the world for their most popular service ? Sitting on an outside seat and having to hold on for dear life cos there are no side arms .

Dr Robotnik

Commuter109 wrote: »

Weeeee heeeeee . Made the 5.30 today. Again it pulled out at 5.27 cos it was full. So if u wanted an express option and arrived after 5.27 you're waiting until 6.30 (which isn't actually an express when I think about it , given that it goes via Cabra )

Interesting that you say that. Last Thursday evening I arrived in Busaras at 8.25 and queued for the 8.30. Unfortunately for me and about 6 others it was full. A BE employee arrived on the scene to shepherd the unlucky ones away. He was asked if there was an extra bus on hand. "No. You'll just have to wait for the next one."

The 'next one' is at 9.30, which is quite a wait. No communication. No apology. Just shut up and wait. Piss-poor as per usual.

Now the 9.30 was also full by the time it picked up at the church in Phibsborough. The driver, bless him, did the full route though, going to the trouble of driving through Blanchardstown to apologise to waiting passengers in person. Although to be fair, I do have huge sympathy for those who would have been unable to get on two consecutive buses due to it being full.

In my experience the 8.30 and 9.30 evening services are usually quite full, so I'm not surprised that such a situation has occurred. What is ridiculous though is the fact that the last bus at 11.30 is a double decker, and usually has only a handful of passengers!

Con Logue

Dr Robotnik wrote: »

Interesting that you say that. Last Thursday evening I arrived in Busaras at 8.25 and queued for the 8.30. Unfortunately for me and about 6 others it was full. A BE employee arrived on the scene to shepherd the unlucky ones away. He was asked if there was an extra bus on hand. "No. You'll just have to wait for the next one."

The 'next one' is at 9.30, which is quite a wait. No communication. No apology. Just shut up and wait. Piss-poor as per usual.

Now the 9.30 was also full by the time it picked up at the church in Phibsborough. The driver, bless him, did the full route though, going to the trouble of driving through Blanchardstown to apologise to waiting passengers in person. Although to be fair, I do have huge sympathy for those who would have been unable to get on two consecutive buses due to it being full.

In my experience the 8.30 and 9.30 evening services are usually quite full, so I'm not surprised that such a situation has occurred. What is ridiculous though is the fact that the last bus at 11.30 is a double decker, and usually has only a handful of passengers!

Interesting that private enterprise has all these really cool buses on routes that compete with the railway and jack all to a destination effectively without rail. Priorities? Dempsey sure delivered all right.

Dr Robotnik

Con Logue wrote: »

Interesting that private enterprise has all these really cool buses on routes that compete with the railway and jack all to a destination effectively without rail. Priorities? Dempsey sure delivered all right.

The lack of a rail connection between Navan and Dublin is a travesty. If it couldn't be delivered during the Celtic Tiger with a local Minister for Transport, then it never will.

And the upshot of that is, BE can charge what they like, arrive when they like, treat passengers how they like, because they no full well that there's no credible alternative.

Fiskar

Dr Robotnik wrote: »

The lack of a rail connection between Navan and Dublin is a travesty. If it couldn't be delivered during the Celtic Tiger with a local Minister for Transport, then it never will.

And the upshot of that is, BE can charge what they like, arrive when they like, treat passengers how they like, because they no full well that there's no credible alternative.

Unfortunately FF decided the white elephant that is the M3 would bring jobs to Navan, hence the reason 3/4 of Navan have to take the car or bus into Dubbyland. The train would have been the saviour for the town.

Dr Robotnik

Fiskar wrote: »

Unfortunately FF decided the white elephant that is the M3 would bring jobs to Navan, hence the reason 3/4 of Navan have to take the car or bus into Dubbyland. The train would have been the saviour for the town.

Absolutely. Although it didn't stop them promising it. I think I recall a Dempsey leaflet from around 2002 telling us that a rail connection would be in place by 2006.

For the majority of us, the commute would be much more pleasant if BE and the NTA condemned the Sheaf of Wheat, whittled down and centralised the stops, and made more bloody use of the M3.

tom23

Dr Robotnik wrote: »

Interesting that you say that. Last Thursday evening I arrived in Busaras at 8.25 and queued for the 8.30. Unfortunately for me and about 6 others it was full. A BE employee arrived on the scene to shepherd the unlucky ones away. He was asked if there was an extra bus on hand. "No. You'll just have to wait for the next one."

The 'next one' is at 9.30, which is quite a wait. No communication. No apology. Just shut up and wait. Piss-poor as per usual.

Now the 9.30 was also full by the time it picked up at the church in Phibsborough. The driver, bless him, did the full route though, going to the trouble of driving through Blanchardstown to apologise to waiting passengers in person. Although to be fair, I do have huge sympathy for those who would have been unable to get on two consecutive buses due to it being full.

In my experience the 8.30 and 9.30 evening services are usually quite full, so I'm not surprised that such a situation has occurred. What is ridiculous though is the fact that the last bus at 11.30 is a double decker, and usually has only a handful of passengers!

Now I have been on that bus a few times because I had to work shift. That driver drives me demented with frustration. I can't for the life of me understand why he feels the need to stop at every stop after filling up the bus at phibsboro to tell people he is full.

He drive's into the Blanch centre full to let people stand and announce that he is potentially breaking the law and he can get penalty points. What does he want? An applause? People standing on a coach in my view is dangerous on so many levels.

An add to all of that it takes an average of 80mins at night with no traffic to get to Navan. I have made that in peak time traffic (and thats going up and down a heavily congested blanch slip road).

I do twelve hours shifts in Kilmainham, and I dread coming into get the 9:30 knowing he will be driving.

I hate giving out about drivers, but at times I feel like jumping up and telling him, please just drive the goddam bus and stop messing around with the tannoy etc. etc.

tom23

Dr Robotnik wrote: »

Absolutely. Although it didn't stop them promising it. I think I recall a Dempsey leaflet from around 2002 telling us that a rail connection would be in place by 2006.

For the majority of us, the commute would be much more pleasant if BE and the NTA condemned the Sheaf of Wheat, whittled down and centralised the stops, and made more bloody use of the M3.

The commuters of Navan have got to mobilize (excuse the pun) and lobby with a good valid argument backed up by fact and statistics. Its got be fair to everyone, but the 'power' commuters who like to get to Dublin before 8 should have more express services.

Richard Logue

tom23 wrote: »

The commuters of Navan have got to mobilize (excuse the pun) and lobby with a good valid argument backed up by fact and statistics. Its got be fair to everyone, but the 'power' commuters who like to get to Dublin before 8 should have more express services.

Maybe it's time to dust down the old Platform 11 proposals to provide Navan with a commuter rail service via the Tara Mines freight line?

Kutebride

This is why I am on the Sillian service the last two years.:)

BE drives me crazy.

On the odd occasion I have to get a later bus home it pains me to get the ever so complex BE.

AlekSmart

tom23 wrote: »

.
I hate giving out about drivers, but at times I feel like jumping up and telling him, please just drive the goddam bus and stop messing around with the tannoy etc. etc.

I wonder if he's aware that he can display "BUS-FULL" on the Destination Display,that done,he can simply cruise slowly past the disappointed.

Consistently full Public Transport services indicate a failure of planning and operations,it's down to BE and the NTA to get their many hugely intelligent and qualified planning staff to sit around a single table and PLAN....:o

Commuter109

"It is envisaged that approximately 4 services per day will operate via Clonee/Bracetown. Arrangements are in place to identify these and adjust the timetable accordingly (subject to approval by the National Transport Authority)"

Just came across the above in an email I got from BE dated November 2011 - so seems to me that

a) BE did nothing about it or
b) NTA for some odd reason were having none of it, or
c) Between the two of them its takes an extraordinary amount of time to change the bleedin obvious

In any case it doesn't relect well on any party, must follow up with them!

tom23

Richard Logue wrote: »

Maybe it's time to dust down the old Platform 11 proposals to provide Navan with a commuter rail service via the Tara Mines freight line?

It's never going to happen. Very simple is that be need to tweak their service. The M3 express is an excellent service to and from Dublin. We just need more of them. For the 'go slow' integrated ticketing needs to be implemented to cut out the whole cash / dwell time thing on the busy mornings. With the blanch slip road hopefully been finished this year does the bus 109 need to go into the blanch centre? I don't think so. And lastly avoid the sheaf of wheat for the most part.

munchkin_utd

tom23 wrote: »

<snip>The M3 express is an excellent service to and from Dublin. We just need more of them. For the 'go slow' integrated ticketing needs to be implemented to cut out the whole cash / dwell time thing on the busy mornings. <snip>.

Handy solution, provide non stop express services that take NO cash at all. No cashbox , ticket machine, nothing.

You'd have suddenly a very decent take up of weekly or monthly/ yearly tickets with folks scrambling to get the express.

Ulsterbus did this for the Friday evening nonstop Belfast-Monaghan (-Cavan) express when I was getting it and there was never a problem.
If you didnt have a ticket already then you could simply get the stopping service bus which took much longer.